Building construction



I enlarged scale ofl a meansor device utilizedy service.

Patented Sept. 2, 1924.

UNITED STATES A 1,500,087 PATENT OFFICE.; I

ROBERT P. MILLER, OF LOS ANGELES,TCALIFORNIA.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION'.

Appiicatioii, maritimenr 3, i924. serial No. 696,476.

tion bea-ms, purliiis, rafters, joists and otherA members of the building' construction'. The invention has for itsV object the provision of improved meansl and devices of-'gthe nature stated vwhich will be relativelysimple and inexpensive in construction and convenient in application and use, compact in form and highly efficientV andrreliable inY With the above and other objectsin view the invention vconsistslin the novel and'useful provision, forma-tion, Construction, combination, association, Vmode of application and inter-relation of parts, members andl features,.all as hereinafter described, shown in the drawing, and finally pointed out in claims.` y e {Particular objects of theA invention consist in `providing avmeans ror device which whenV associated with otherY frame members constituting a building construction will readily resist stresses,l permit a ready substitution ofthe various members included in the building construction, lwhich will provide a building construction that will positively resist stresses due to disturbing causesy such as earthquakes, explosions or the, like, and which means or device is readily 'adaptable toi'steel structures and wooden gs'tructures, or acombinationA of the two; In practice, ,such'device is quickly and readily'applied and tendsfto vhold the further structural features, rafters. or beams or the'like, iii-positions of service.

l In 'the drawing:

Figure lis a fragmentaryside elevation of"structural elements associated .together for service, the same illustrating application l of :the means `constituting the invention in conjunction with further Istructural elements associated with those iirstnamed'; f

Figure* 2 is a perspective view upon an vin Figurea-- l and genera inpracticingthe invention in one-form, the i I same being shownV in detached position;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary View looking in the direction of the 'arrow at the right-hand side of Figure 4, and upon a diminished scale, a beam or joist or purlin being shown asheld in position in accordance with ythe invention and associated with another'structura-l element,

the beam "being vshown in dotted lines; i

Figure 4 is an enlarged'end view of angled i structuralmembers such as `shown in Figure l and Figure 3, showing a meansor device for h'olding'beains or jo-ists orpiirlins in association with such angled vstruc'- tural members, as in Figure 3, the beams being-shown vin ,dotted lines; and,

Fig. 5 is a top plan view ,of the showing Corresponding parts in allthe figures are designated vby the same reference characters.V u j i Referring with particularity to the drawing, A. designates struetural'members for building, bridgev or' other constructionpurposes, each ofthe same including two Voppositely facing `angledmembers a, such an- Vgled structuralY members being, slightly spaced 'apart and ,dispo-sed backv to back, other structuralmeinbers or plates b being' riveted between such angled' members c, and still further structural members c. Further structural members CZ are Villustrated,-all of such structural members .being united as desired, inthe formation of a girder, truss oru other built-upstructural unit.V The 'angled members awincludeeachY a lower Vsubstantially l horizontal portion 6 adaptedto support one end'of a wooden floor or other beam? or ,purlin' or joist, whichv beamvit will be understood spans the space between twofof the built-uplunits shown Ain',Figure4 eiice character Y y y 1 .E Y

In accordance nwith the present invention, each of the means or devlcesC'wliichis organized ,to practice .the invention, is 4'disposed in 'po-sitioiil to retain one endhof'a beam'' or adjacent end's'of beams 7 in posi'- llylfdesignated by the refer- Y tion kupon the flanges or ledges -'orportions- 6i of `angled' members a; v4Each suchdmeans or device comprises ,one or-more `'members v8, two of suchlbeing shown in the` drawing,-

and each adapted to uextend laterally ofthe`V associated angled'members a to abut against the ends of opposedbeams 7, at corresponding sides of such beams, and at opposite sides of the structural member A. When two such members 8 are employed, the beams 7 are engaged abbo-th sides of their end portions, as illustrated in the drawing, each such means or device C thus engaging the end port-ions of two beams at both sides of such beams. Where two such members 8 are employed they are preferably connected by a connection member or web 9, and specie-ally each such means or device C may be formed or blanked out ,of sheet metal, to provide the members 8 and connecting web 9, the members 8 having depending opposed flanges 8a at opposite sides of the web 9, and which are directlyy engaged with the beam end portions at the sides thereof.

Openings l() are formed through the members 8, to receive securing means and con,- sisting ofwedges 1 1 which are driven between the opposed portions 6a of the angled members a?, securely but removablyholding such means or devices C in position straddling-the upper edges of the angled portions a, with the members 8 and webv 9 resting upon the upper edges ofsuch portions 6.V rPhe depending fianges 8a are disposed so as to embrace the portions 6, preventingY displacement of the means or-CleYCe C in a direction transversely of such angled members a., such embracing relation likewise preventing the means or device C` from tilting or canting or rocking or twisting, the wedges l1 preventing the means or device C from moving lengthwise of the angled members a or being displaced in a. vertical direction. The wedges 11 force the portion 6a against the fianges 8, thus frictionally holding the means C and wedges lfl against displacement. The wooden or other beams 7 resting upon the portions 6 of the angled members a., and the means or device C 'apf plied to the end portions thereof, uniting with the outer faces of the portion 6a ofthe angled members ci, effectively and .positively prevent displacement of movement of the beam laterally' or enclwise, ineaeh ca se/ Bolts ornails l2y may bey driven through the fianges 811 or suitable openings 124 therein, and entered into the beamsf? or passed Y through suitable openings in v such beams,

thus more effectively tying the beamsto the means or device C and very positively pre.-

venting any displacement of the beam end Y in a vertical direction l Each means or device C is -simple and inexpensive in construction and durable and positive in use and service, and readily ap-V plied or detached, and enables quick and effective assemblage of beams or'other struc-k tural members such as 7 with still other structural members of the organization, effec#` tively holding all such members in their true relative and proper positions of service and opposing the stresses of any disturbing fao tors due to the application of forces of vibration or other displacing tendencies.

It is obvious that the invention may be practiced in man v forms and within a wide range of variation' and 'modifica-tion and substitution and alteration, without departing fromV the true spirit of the invention.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I

Vclaim and Vdesire to secure by Letters Patsuch members to prevent dis-placement there:

of, and means for preventing displementof such device; said first named structural elementc'omprising spaced members adapted to receive a. wedge constituting such means, 2. 'A device adapted to. be applied over the top portions of spacedr structural elements and yto be engaged with further structural elements associated therewith, suc-h first named. Structural elements beine' rela-tively spaced, and means being provided for introduction between such first named structural elements to prevent displacement of such de vice. f

. 3. A device adapted to beA applied over the top portions of spaced Structural'ele-y ments and to be engaged with fillrtherY struc-A tural elements associated` therewith,v and means beingprovided for` introduction between such first namedy structural velements to Yprevent displacement of such device; such device including spaced members each adapted to embrace the end portion Vof a further structural element. p i

4, The combination, with a structural element provided with a portion adapted to receive and support the end portonof a fur.-l ther structural. element; of means above said. supporting portion of said 'first named structural element kfor opposingV displacement of said second named lstructural element;4 said ioo means being disposedfsc as to be presented to V.said'second named structural element in a limited zone between the topand bottom thereof and approximately at the top of said rst named structural element ;V said'rmeans including a part -ffor detachabql-y holding the entiremeans inposition of service-` I 5. The combination, with a structuralelement having. spaced portions; Aof means adapted to be applied to saidsfpaced por-L tions to: prevent displacement oy structural element; and `means for introdu tion 'between said `spaced portions to cause.

frictionalbinding ofv saidy first named means with said spaced portions to prevent Vdis-y placement of said *firstl named' means,4 6. The combinatiomwith a structural ele? ment having spaced portions; 4of means adapted. to be appledftofsaid spaced por;

a` further ifi;

tions to prevent displacement of a further In testimony whereof, I have signed my structural element; and means for introducf name to this speciication in the presence of I tion between said spaced poi-tions to cause tWo subseribing Witnesses. Y rictional binding of said first named means ROBERT P. MILLER.A 5 with said spaced portions to prevent dis- Witnesses:

placement of said first named means; said EDNA TURNER, second named means consisting of a Wedge. JAMES SHUTT. 

